


Hope's Beacon

by Lipashee



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Multi, tags will be added as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-04-01 17:46:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4029025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lipashee/pseuds/Lipashee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She wanted to go wherever hope was and personally experience the stories that would turn to legends in the future. She didn't expect to end up in the middle of one of those stories, however. She wondered if she could manage to keep the actual hero alive, while trying to stay hidden until he could take control of his body again.<br/>Meeting people she has known for a long time made this harder than it had to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hope's Beacon

Even before she had left the Fade she had decided to go wherever she could find hope. She wanted to see what could be done with it, she had been sure it would be fascinating. Now she knew it was. Hope drove people to do amazing things and she wanted to experience it, be part of it. She wanted to remember stories which she could tell and be sure they were driven by hope.

Over the years this has led her to many interesting people. One was a Grey Warden. She had only joined out of necessity, needing immunity to the taint in her body. She had watched as the elf selflessly brought together an army, stepping into the light when she was used to staying in the shadows. Even with her sharp tongue she found many friends along the way. Even in desperate times she found hope. Even though she was forced into her role she was willing to give up her life. In the end she decided to put her own happiness aside so she and everyone she loved could survive.  
Hope had left her after she defeated the Archdemon. It was enough for her to know that the Hero of Ferelden would be happy with Alistair. It had been time for her to move on.

Another was a refugee that had fled to Kirkwall during the Fifth Blight. He did whatever was necessary to keep his family and friends as safe as possible. He went through much pain, losing his beloved sister, then his mother, leaving only Carver, but his light never dimmed. When Carver joined the Templars he still loved him, regardless of being a mage and his brother's attitude towards him. He did many wrongs and so did his friends, but he never abandoned them and in turn they never left him. He let Justice live, despite the scrutiny of others and the hurt he felt himself. Their group was completely mismatched, many fights starting because of differing opinions. Still, by the end they were like family. The Champion of Kirkwall held them together. She was glad they defeated Orsino and the corrupted Knight Commander and stood together, even with their differences. By now they were scattered all over, but they still had a bond.

Most recently she had met an elf that, after they had finished trading stories, told her to be careful here, especially because she was such a strong spirit. She didn't understand. What did she have to be careful of while seeking hope?

* * *

When she woke she felt too much and yet nothing at all, not in the way she was used to. Where was the hope? There was hope inside of her, a strong hope, but where was it around her? She was hurting. How could she be hurting? She couldn't comprehend a small, but nagging thought she suddenly had. It didn't seem to be her own and it simply confused her more. She hazily felt weights around her wrists, but a sudden flare of pain in her left hand distracted her.  
Every sound was droning as she curled into a ball, the cold and wet stone floor almost touching her forehead. Why did she feel the need to curl together? Why did she feel so small and confined? A shudder went through her body. Thoughts and memories flitted through her brain, some her own, some not, disappearing so quickly that the images seemed to flow together. A loud bang forced her to focus.

Looking up in the dim light revealed a woman to her. She was fully armored and scars marred her face. The neat braid in the otherwise short black hair was beautiful. Being able to fuzzily see it from various angles as the woman encircled her calmed her. It didn't sort her thoughts, but fixating on something enabled her to listen. The loud clacking of boots echoed.  
The tall, confidently walking woman reminded Hope of the Warden, the fierceness in her eyes the same. With a sudden bellow the dalish rogues' face disappeared from her mind's eye again.

“Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now.“

Was she expected to answer? No one had ever approached her like this, she had always been able to hide or run in time. Even if she was supposed to she didn't have an answer. She didn't even know where she was or what was going on. How had they captured her? Did they summon her? Her train of thought was cut short as the woman continued.

“The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead.“ She stopped in front of the spirit, turning her head and looking her in the eyes. “Except for you.“

Hope's calmed thoughts began reeling again. The Conclave, a place full of hope, so many wishing for the war to be over and finally there was a _chance_. It was gone. The hope was gone, it was gone and what had she done. She had followed him. He had been a shining beacon there, so bright- only two other times she had seen something similar in person. He was born for greatness, his hope so pure. What happened to him? Was he dead too? He couldn't be, she knew the world would be doomed without him. A being like that was always born for a reason. Did she let him die? She couldn't stop her mouth from opening slightly as she gaped at the woman.

Her prolonged silence seemed to enrage her more. A strong hand grabbed her wrist and brought it up to her face.

“Explain _this_.“

As she turned her attention to her hand a sharp pain ran through her arm and a green light burst to life in her palm. With a sudden jolt that left her rigid she realized that it was the only connection to the Fade that she had left. How could that be? What happened? What was that glowing _thing_? Something akin to hyterics ambushed her, making her twitch. She was a spirit, even if she liked to be in the waking world, it didn't mean that she wanted to be cut off from the Fade. Could she even survive without? The hand moved from her wrist to the her chest, ballling into the fabric of the vaguely familiar clothing there. Something inside of her wanted to flinch.

The black-haired woman shouted, “Answer me!“, her scowl seeming to have deepened even further.

Someone stepped in, a woman judged by her chest, a hood covering her features. Short red hair was flowing with the movement, the only thing the hood did not fully cover. She slowly led the other woman away from Hope, and calmly chided the warrior. “We need him, Cassandra.“

Sudden recognition almost brought a smile to Hope's face, but the attempt was squashed by the everlasting pain. Leilei. That was Leilei's voice! The nickname the Warden had always used for her brought Hope back to calmer times. Calm, even though they were during a Blight. Leliana's beautiful singing she would hear from time to time had calmed her even then. The camp had always been amazing to her, the hope the Warden brought, all in one place. She slightly shook her head, it was not the time for reminiscence.

Instead she tried puzzling together what little information she had.  
Leliana was here. Leliana didn't know about her, so she wasn't safe. Hope knew she could be distrustful. It would be in her favor to think about what she could say before blurting anything out around her.  
Cassandra. Was the woman named Cassandra? It was nice to have a name Hope could remember her by. She wanted answers as badly as Hope wanted them herself. She wanted to know what had happened at the Conclave. Hope had been there. So why couldn't she remember? She hadn't forgotten anything since leaving the Fade.

Leliana's whole sentence only registered then. Him? Hope was a spirit, therefore didn't have a gender, but she was sure her appearance resembled that of a woman's. Leliana was so perceptive, surely she wouldn't make such a simple mistake?

Only then she realized what was fundamentally wrong. Her fingers weren't slim, glowing blue or lightly see-through the way she was used to. They were plump and had rough skin, a sign of a hard worker. Her gaze followed them down her glowing hand to the handcuffs. They were normal metal cuffs, no binding enchantments at all. Just _what_ had happened to her?

Her focus snapped back to the red-haired woman when she stepped before her, bowing down slightly. Leliana's voice rang clear in her muddled mind. “Do you remember what happened? How this began?“

Memories assaulted her. Running from demons, her surroundings were all tinted green, was she in the Fade again? She was desperately climbing up a detroyed structure. Why were they chasing her? A glowing hand reached out to her, another spirit? She grabbed for it and was pulled up, but before she could do anything else she was pushed into a green light, resembling the one that now resided on her hand.

When she finally began to speak the gravelly baritone voice surprised her. “I was running... in the Fade, perhaps? I was being chased, but a woman...“ She broke off, her breath seemingly unable to reach her lungs. She wanted to reach for her throat with her hands, but they were also bound to the ground.

“A woman?“ The frown on Leliana's face now matched Cassandra's. Hope tried to continue, but her throat felt dry. She coughed instead. “The Fade? But how could you know, you're a...“ Before she could proceed Cassandra shook her head and strode in front of Leliana, slightly forcing her back.

“Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take him to the rift.“ After they silently came to an agreement Leliana swiftly left through the door. Cassandra turned to face Hope again and unlocked the cuffs after kneeling down. Without a pause her hands were tied together with rope instead. Hope's quiet inquiry about what had happened was met with silence as she was pulled to her feet. At last she got an answer with a quiet “It will be easier to show you.“

When they finally left the Chantry she immediatly noticed the strange greenish glow everything seemed to have. A loud noise and bright light made her turn away from whatever had caused them. Her inability to see occupied her mind instead of the returned pain in her hand.

As she regained her eyesight, she first thought she was holding her marked hand in front of her. Realizing that her hands were still tightly bound she was shocked to see a giant, glowing hole in the sky. The discoloration of the town came from the way the snow was reflecting the terrifying sight.

Cassandra began talking without turning back to her, intently watching the hole. “We call it “The Breach“. It's a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour.“

Cassandra turned, exposing her worried yet stern expression. “It's not the only such rift. Just the largest.“ Her hand reached for her forehead, as if to rub it, but she stopped herself. “All were caused by the explosion at the Conclave.“

Hope frowned. She couldn't remember the last time she had. “Explosions can't create. They destroy.“  
Only after uttering those words she thought of how naive they made her sound. She shifted her eyes to the overgrown Chantry walls, but caught herself and looked back at Cassandra.

Once again getting closer to her, Cassandra met her eyes with a glare. „This one did. Unless we act, the Breach may grow until it swallows the world.“

Hope looked upwards again, just to watch as the Breach shot down a green pillar of light, seeming to grow bigger. The stabbing pain she had felt in her hand returned, making her keel over again. Her hand was glowing with that sickly green. It made her angry. Or was it not her after all? She felt it, but in a distant way. An anguished scream tore itself from her throat. She pushed her hands against her stomach, in hopes that pure pressure might stop the pain.

Cassandra kneeled down in front of her, her right hand gesturing wildly. Hope tried to refocus on that. She had to listen. This was important, what was she saying?

“... Breach expands, your mark spreads.“ Her frown softened. After a short pause she continued. “And it is killing you.“

Killing her? She had never been faced with the possibility of her death. Spirits were in no way immortal, but could she truly go like this? With no idea what had happened to her? Inside a body she didn't know?

She had wanted to be part of the stories, but this was a little too close for comfort.

**Author's Note:**

> The first fic I've ever posted and I'm really nervous ;7; Updates will definitely be very sporadic (Oh, school work!), but I'll try my best.  
> Constructive criticism is VERY appreciated! (Or reassurances of any kind, lol)


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